Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-05-06
A PAnIs pResTIploLrArEun.

a Transformation Scuno OF tho cro,t
nysiery-Flowors from y Skull.
"Io Know eNuctly what | want will
givo forco to tho accomplishment of my
misuon. Eaid The Yankee in mo. And
when tho curtain was rai.rNl Mt d:sO
O'Clock was smgIy sxitcd in front OF
tho stayc Of tho diinnutivo Theatre
Robert ilolldin, ready To tal;o NV flint
lesson in pupaazir. What saw VIVA not
ut NIL what expected to SEQ, and n man
sarohilly drctscd In tho conventional
swallowtail and whito crnvat holding q
plaster bust In his hands. just m,ch n
one n8 You have sccn in every .nrtist's
studio, explained that ho would cndcayor
TO occupy and TO interest thonu,licnco 10
lore tho regular performance of ~.
Lcmecicr de Neuvillo. A small tablo in
front OF him occupied tho stage. What
he did first to arrest tho attention Of tho
audience was to pass the plaster east of "A
temalo head to II number of his ncarQs,t
noiEhlors, To confirm tho reality OF tho
impression that il wan nothing moro or
lc6s than what it represented to tho cyc.,
Of nl. After tho ox,linirutiOns had Lcen
duly regulated to tho cntiro ratisrac,ion
Of thoee who handled tho proof, tho man
iu the swallowtnil plncod tho plaster
bust ON the tablo waiting for it.
"What he did ncxt waa not w,ibuittcd
to the Judgment OF tho people, but
whnt we stw certainly strained my curl
oaity and wondcrinent M IL had mover
been strained boforc, md Judging from
tho Buppresscd eXclanntions around mo.
everybody else present Experienced tho
sano strain. Tho plaster bust beynn 10
movo under tho magic influence oi tho
preaudigimteur, and gradually tho eye,
OF tho model loet their passive stare and
shono with the liflstrc of lifo. Shadows
OF imagination and thought turned tho
rigid clay into smiling lifo and touched
the grayiah hue Of tho cheeks with rosy,
dinpled hCah. Oh, marvel Of mnrvol,.
Oh, CoSi3ru havo you convcrtM my
Inauguration into mn allcgory, or do be-
hold mystcryi The swallowtail did
not let syllable slip without tho a,ithori-
ty of truth and reality. Whit oxpedicnt
he made use of to light himself by that
torch no man present was wise enough
10 hay, and ono and all waited with eager
zeal to neo what was impossible TO know
after lifo comco death" said tn,
magician. and we saw tho transformation
Eene OF TINT groat mystery. The bcauti-
iui face OF the woman without transition
rom youth and beauty to illness and
death, gradually guve place to- n ghastly,
grlnninS skull. Certainly we wcro all
.icd faust with anazonIcnt and the vapor
OF what we wcrc coming TO wan inhaled
Mt every breath. There was not chink,
not Granny that would furnish tho
slightest escape from the conviction that,
whatever OF lalscnces existed in tho l,crc-
grlnntions before iis, tho last ono was n
solemn truth M real as doubt.
Mon Dicul' heard u Frcnchwomnn
behind me say; WHY did ho not oliow
is mans bcad?" i -
ut would not havo mad dsf!uch n sicye
for vanity" tartly rplofdsi hor COM
Tho swalIowts6 must havo been \
dh.ciple Of Yar#in, for tlio next thing bo
showI IA, spri1ging Up in NIL the fresh
ness and lAnuty of yolA,g nature, was M
exquisite Bouquet of bloo,aing roscu bios
soming from buds TO the perfection OF
full blown fragrance, their bright colo,n
and sweet breath emling above the very
spot where the ugly skull had showed ua
in such nm nnwclcQme way the only
problem Of life that wc know. Where
was the hidden spring or p,cr crccrct whcc.
OF that masterpiece of slcisht OF hand;
Nothing wa8 visible to tho Dyes of tho nli-
diencc but tho gestures Of tho prcstidigi.
tatcur. Very 1oon tho flowers began 10
wilt and 20 give place to that symbol OF
dust TO dust, and again the faireat and
happicst were obliged to look at what ma.
t,irc gives man lis n last fouvcnir. The
skull climbed out Of night rs tho lovely
face of woman took it's place. Art was
moro enduring than all, for it was tho
plaster cast that tho swallowtail held
fondly in his handa when he bowed his
thanks to the audience for their respect
full attention. Paris Cor. Chicago Hor-
aid.